Short-eared Owls from northern Europe and Russia travel to the UK to benefit from plentiful and easily accessible food during the winter. Sometimes they’re found resting on oil rigs or boats as they make the long journey here over the sea.
A bad year for voles means fewer owls successfully fledge
The owls that have come for winter have flown from areas where frozen ground and snow would severely reduce their access to their prey, mainly voles. Vole numbers are cyclical; a bad year for voles means fewer owls successfully fledge. It seems that the owls had a good breeding season in 2023, with many seen arriving here in late autumn.
A number of these birds will linger by the coast over winter, hunting over saltmarsh and wet grassland, often roosting together on the ground. They may be seen out during the day, as well as dawn and dusk.
